Ah yes, the world's biggest lie! The Airbus envelope protections. Tell me, when is the last time you needed to exceed 30 degrees pitch up, 15 degrees pitch down, or 60 degrees of bank in an airliner? In my several thousand hours flying them, it has never happened. The only reasonable scenario for this would be an unusual attitude recovery, and should you be thrown in such a scenario in the Airbus, you WILL have full authority to recover the airplane.

And, contrary to popular belief, I can even fire all the electrons and fly the 'bus just like a "real airplane"!! Yes, it is still FBW, and my stick inputs are processed by a computer and sent to the flight controls ... but the same thing happens on FBW airplanes like the B777, B787, E170/190, etc. It's just the size and shape of your stick that's different. Can't speak for you, but I'm not hung up on that sort of thing!

It's always possible, lol. I'm just assuming I wouldn't enjoy it based on me dreading flights over 3hrs, hell I get annoyed when I cross a FIR boundary. If I were to fly two trips a month on a 777, you are most likely right, I'd probably have more time off and make more money but I truly don't think I would enjoy that type of flying. Like you said, I could be wrong.

I'm also basing this on talking with my buddies (L-CAL) (75/6) who seem to be gone all the time and look far too aged for how old they actually are (may just be they don't take care of themselves).

Anyway, my final point is, if pilots got paid strictly by DOH (like UPS) I can almost guarantee the larger the Airplane, the more junior the crew.

If you actually love "stick time," sure the narrow body stuff is for you. However as we all get older all we want to do is maximize pay and days off. I could care less if I never make another takeoff and landing in my career, and make me a permanent IRO for 200k+ a year (with future contractual raises) , and have tons of time off at home. Again, to each his own. The less take offs and landings I make, the less chance I have of dying.

ghilis - the problem with Joey is he's NEVER done the other flying. Seven years in the business, recently hired at Spirit, never flown long haul, never flown w/b's, never flown long haul international trips. All of this with a background of having flown 3 a/c professionally(not counting GA). Cute.

I get that guys like doing X, year after year. Turns. Or Europe, or Deep South, or trans-cons. Others switch. Having the option is nice.

Reasons guys do the long haul flying - more pay, less B.S., more time off, interesting layovers, bigger cockpits, quieter cockpits. And it's different flying. Not hugely different but enough differences to make it interesting. All items that Joey has limited exposure to or never experienced.

See thats what's funny about this whole thing. You think because you've "been there done that", you know something about me?, that's "cute'" I'm fairly happy with the size of my penis and unlike some on here, I work to live, not live to work.

Unreal that some of you guys are telling me what I'd like,Lol. Anyway, I'll leave the Widebody stuff to the pros,like our geriatric ****ed off AA sky god Sliceback

I think what Joey's missing is that eventually, it's not about the flying at all.

Fine. If you like it good for you. I don't like the sidestick thingy and the non existant secondary inputs of the machine at all. Frankly, I think it is an unsafe design unless you don't know anything else, and even then it is problematic... IMHO. But to each his own. I have no interest in it, so I won't get in your way when the 330s arrive. didn't mean for this to escalate into a Boeing vs airbus argument.. enjoy your airplane, I'll enjoy mine.

Well I guess it all depends on how you look at it. Admittedly all of SWA trips are crappy domestic trips, but if the measuring stick is indeed pay and time at home as opposed to glorious 24 hour layovers in an exotic port of call then SWA is worth a look.

Captains average over $230,000, First Officers average over $140,000.

SWA average days off at every domicile for every line holder in December is 17.5 days off.

The last five years, SWA pilots averaged just over 18 days off per month.

For the last five years, SWA pilots averaged 105 TFP.

Over 80% of all SWA trips are 3 days.

Reserve lines have 15 days off for a 30 day month, 16 for 31.

Reserve guarantee is 90 TFP per month, actual months pay average around 105 TFP.

Monthly line bidding, no pref bid.

Monthly guarantee 77 hours or 89 trips for pay.

Minimum daily guarantee 6.5 TFP.

3-day trip pays a minimum of 19.5 TFP. 26.0 for a 4 day trip.

Open Time trips pay up to 150 percent.

Duty hour rig is .74 TFP per hour.

Per diem: $2.15 domestic. $2.65 international.

At SWA you don't have to work your way up to a senior position to work the coveted 3 on 4 off schedule 4 times a month, every line holder averages 12 work days with 18 days off. Reserves enjoy an industry leading 15 days off. Some very much enjoy our highly efficient domestic flying (me included) but I completely understand it is not for everyone. But, if the true metric is pay and time at home, it's hard to beat a job at SWA.

The FBW logic is identical on the 777 and 787. Just it has a yoke masquerading (and taking up space) that you still have cable control.

I guess those are unsafe too.

I'm not missing that, I get it. My point is SWA CAs make just over $200/hr to fly a 737, I'm not sure what the MOU rates are but AA 777 CAs make what, lower $200/hr?

SWA has better work rules, so in this example, the more money and more time off = the SWA pilot, it's not debatable, lol.

Sliceback can preach all he wants about me not knowing what im talking about because I've never flown a Widebody but numbers don't lie, he's just too pompous to admit that it appears SWA pilots have a higher QOL and make more money than a pilot flying a Widebody for American